Shin Fins

ABSTRACT

Shin Fins are for the lower part of the leg, instead of the foot. The bridge alone attached to the swimsuit will produce a forward thrust, just as standard fins do. Yet, for Shin Fins with the pad bracket, bridge, fins and fin tips on the forward and reverse strokes, the water is funneled between the leg and fin along the bridge towards the foot. As the water passes over, under, and around the funneling tips of the fin, the water is directed over and under the foot, not just around the foot. On both forward and reverse strokes, the funneling tips cut through the water and funnel water above and below the foot, providing thrust on both directions of strokes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shin Fins are a swimming aid placed between the knee and ankle; whereas, snorkel, scuba and standard fins are attached to the feet and are big, bulky, and difficult to walk around in while out of the water. They also impede the user when trying to enter or exit a body of water by ladder or steps on ships and so forth. This forces the user to put standard fins on and then remove them several times over the course of the user's chosen outing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Shin Fins are side fins on the lower part of the legs between the knee and the ankle. Shin Fins allow the user to have his or her ankle and foot free to step on footsteps, ladders, and so forth. Shin Fins also allow the user to go barefoot, or wear flip flops, shoes, boots and, yes, standard swimming flippers if the user prefers such.

The angled tips on Shin Fins direct the water flow over and under the foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the front view of the Shin Fins on one leg, and the zipper on the dive suit with Shin Fins attached to the sides of the dive suit.

FIG. 2 is the same as the front view with the artist's depiction of the Shin Fins at an off angle.

FIG. 3 shows one fin with the pad covering the pad brackets and sewn to the dive suit, and the bridge between the pad bracket and the fin plate.

FIG. 4 represents an inside view of the fin plate with the bridge. The bridge is at a 90° to fin plate. The pad bracket is not shown.

FIG. 5 represents the side view of the bracket. The straight side is where the fin plate would be. The other side is where the pad bracket would be. The curving is so the Shin Fins fit comfortably next to the shape of the leg.

FIG. 6 represents a side view of the pad bracket. It conforms to the curve of the bridge.

FIG. 7 represents a top view of the pad bracket. The pad will fit on top of this, with the cloth surrounding the foam and pad bracket.

FIG. 8 is an inside view of the Shin Fin. This shows how the Shin Fin looks before it is sewn to the dive suit. The dash line shows the pad bracket inside the pad.

FIG. 9 depicts the outside view of Shin Fin. This is the basic shape that would be seen after sewn to the dive suit.

FIG. 10 shows the back side of the leg with the Shin Fins attached to the dive suit. The zipper on this style is in the back. For full body suits and half body suits, the waist down the zipper is in the front, when fins are on the suit. The zipper must be used as well. All suits roll inside out when removing. The fins will not allow the suit to be removed without the zipper. The zipper also makes the suit easier to put on.

FIG. 11 is the back side view of the fin, and the placement of the fin on the suit next to the leg.

On FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 the angles of Shin Fin tips are shown. After the water is funneled between the leg and inside of the fin plate along the bridge, the water passes by the fin tips. The fin tips then adjust water flow to go above and below the foot, not just along the sides of the foot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Shin Fins are one solid piece consisting of four solid fins. Two fins are the exact same and the other two fins are the exact same mirror opposites of the first two. For one leg a pair of two opposites are used. The other two fins are used for the other leg.

The prototype was formed out of wood, foam, and cloth for the pads. For mass production of fins, plastic, rubber, synthetic type, or similar material should be used. However, any material may be used for fins, as well as pads.

The best method to produce fins is to use standard molding techniques, the same methods now used for scuba fins. The drawings show the fins, bridge and pad brackets as separate in order to show their shapes; yet all 3 are molded as one piece.

The pads are attached by using two pieces of cloth and one piece of ½ inch foam. The first piece of cloth has a cut in it going the full length of the pad bracket (FIGS. 6 and 7) with a sewing machine buttonhole stitch around the cut. Place the bracket pad of the fin through the hole in the cloth to fit the cloth and foam for the bracket pad, and cut material to the pad's desired shape. Remove the cloth, place the foam between two cloths and machine sew along the outside edge (FIG. 8). Then slide the bracket pad into the buttonhole between the foam and the cloth. Adjust and center the pad on the pad bracket and then glue the inside of the buttonhole stitching to the bracket pad (FIG. 6) where the bridge and pad bracket meet.

To attach Shin Fins to dive suit, just put suit on and then with Shin Fins in place, draw an outline of the pads onto the suit. Then draw the zipper placement on to the suit, front or back of leg at owner's preference. Remove the suit and then send suit, zipper, and Shin Fins to seamstress. 

1. Shin Fins are a thrust producing swimming aid that allow the ankle and foot to be free. 